Big Sky Project/Life Without Limits
The Big Sky Project/Life Without Limits is a national effort to create a new vision of the future for people with disabilities. The project is designed to raise public awareness about the serious challenges that remain for people with disabilities and develop strategies, initiatives, programs, and public policy to address them.
The project was conceived in April 2004 in response to the realization that goals set many years ago that led to both the deinstitutionalization of many individuals with disabilities and the passing of the ADA have not been fully realized. The fact that there is a long way to go before individuals with disabilities are fully integrated into all aspects of society motivated UCP to jump start a far-reaching dialogue about how people with disabilities can become fully integrated in society and live life without limits.
Accomplishments include the distribution of a DVD “focus group in a box” to affiliates and other organizations to conduct their own focus groups to encourage discussions around the opportunities and obstacles facing people with disabilities and the creation of a custom forecast map designed by the Institute for the Future (IFTF) that identifies future forces that are likely to have major impact on individuals with disabilities over the next decade. To help facilitate conversations about Big Sky and better understand the map, IFTF has also developed a map glossary and UCP created a one-page summary and a flyer on navigating the map.
In April 2007, the Big Sky Project National Visioning Sessions and 2007 UCP Annual Conference was convened in Orlando, Florida. Conference participants had the opportunity for in-depth review and discussion of future forces that are likely to have major impacts on individuals with disabilities. The opening keynote address, delivered by Dr. Bob Johansen, Institute for the Future’s Distinguished Fellow, highlighted the waves of change that will shape the lives of people with disabilities over the next decade. How these same people will use their abilities to explore the emerging edges of what it means to be human was also discussed.
During the conference, the Big Sky Project convened three visioning sessions. The purpose of the sessions was to provide participants with an opportunity to identify key elements that should be included in a new vision of the future for individuals with disabilities. After much deliberation and discussion, the following key elements were identified:
- Believable Hope
- Navigating the World Across Generations
- Universal Access
- Agile/Potent Networks
- Meaningful Employment
- Community Not Government
All of the proceedings and discussions from the visioning sessions are now available on the Big Sky Project Visioning Sessions Web site, courtesy of Alegent Health. The Web site also includes the conference opening and closing presentations as well as the proceedings from the Straw Person Visioning Session convened in Omaha, Nebraska in February 2007. Visit the Big Sky Project Visioning Sessions Web page.
Although you do not need a password to access the site, you do need one to contribute comments and pose questions to the discussion board. You can sign in by clicking on “Sign In” in the far upper right hand corner. Your user name will be the first letter of your first name followed by your last name. For example, if your name is John Doe, your username is jdoe. Usernames have been set up for all conference participants. The password is pass@word1 for everyone. If you did not attend the conference and would like to set up a username, please contact Katie Martin.
Learn more about the state of affairs for the 54 million Americans with disabilities in our new publication, “The State of Disability in America.”How You Can Help
While UCP is the spark, Big Sky is too large for any one organization to own. Success will come with the participation and support of a broad coalition of individuals, groups, and organizations. Those partnerships must include the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Together, all of us will create a fresh strategic view of our nation, our times and the possibilities tomorrow holds and realize a brighter, more just and sustainable future for all Americans with and without disabilities.
Sponsors to date include The Shapiro Family Foundation, The Brotman Foundation, WellPoint Foundation, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation, Ripplewood Holdings, Ripplewood Foundation, Inc., and Alegent Health System.
For more information on how you can help redefine the future for people with disabilities, contact Lara Terrell, Information and Referral Specialist, by phone, 202-973-7105.